Combination pump and compressor system.



W. J. RIGHARDS. COMBINATION PUMP AND COMPRESSOR SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED JULYQ, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT WALTER J. RICHARDS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL BRAKE &

ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN. J

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed July 9, 1908. Serial No. 442,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Combination Pump and Com ressor System, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and eX- act description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to combination pump and compressor systems, having for its object an improved arrangement and operation of said systems.

My invention is of great utility in automatic sprinkler systems. In some of these systems a su ply tank is provided into which water must e pumped and which must be kept under pressure in order that the water can be driven with suflicient force from the sprinkler system outlets. A water pump and an air com ressor are thereiore necessary, together with some driving means. In accordance with my invention 1 provide an electric motor as the common driving source and two magnetic clutch mechanisms are provided, one for connecting the motor With the pump and the other for connecting the motor with the compressor, the circuit arrangement and control of the clutches being such that either clutch may be independently cut into circuit for operation. A doublethrow switch is provided which inone position energizes the one clutch to connect the motor into driving relation with the pump,

and when the switch is moved to the other position, the other clutch mechanism. is energized to connect the motor in driving relation with the compressor. 1 also combine the motor circuit and the clutch circuits in such manner that when the main switch is opened to interrupt the-circuit to the motor and to the clutches, the motor will operate for an instant as a generator to send current through the connected-in clutch in reverse manner, this reverse current flow overcoming the residual magnetism of the clutches and unclutching is always assured so that the system is always in condition to have either one or the other of the clutches connected in for service upon closure of the double-throw switch.

In the accompanying drawing invention is clearly illustrated as applied to a sprinkler system of the class described.

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the various parts of the system and their arrangement, and Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the circuit arrangement and connections which I employ in my system.

1 represents a tank, usually 011 the top of a building, which is connected through piping 2 with thermally controlled sprinkler nozzles 3. The tank is filled with water so that when any of the nozzles are 0 ened by heat water will flow from the tan through the piping and from the opened nozzles. To insure more forcible flow from the nozzles 1t is desirable to have the water in the tank under pressure. The tank being usually at the top of the building, a pump is necessary to drive the water therein, and a compressor is employed to compress the air over the water. I have shown a pump 4 and a compressor 5, the pump being connected with the tank through piping 6 and the compressor being connected with the top of the tank through piping 7. As a common driving means for the pump and compressor I' provide an electric motor 8 ada ted for driving connection with the pump y means of the magnetic clutch 9 and for driving connection with the compressor by means of magnetic clutch 10. The clutch frame 9 of the magnetic clutch 9 is secured to one end of the armature shaft 11, while the'armature disk 9 of the magnetic clutch is secured to the adjacent end of the crank shaft section 12 which is journaled in suitable bearings 13, and which has the crank section 14 connected with the connecting rod 15 which is connected with the pump ing apparatus in a well-known manner.

The frame part 1O for the magnetic clutch i0 is mounted at the other end of the armature shaft 11 and the armature disk 1O is se-' cured to the inner end of the shaft 16 journaled thrcugh the bearings 17. is shown as carrying a crank disk 18 at its other end, whose crank pin 19 connects through connecting rod '20 and piston rod with piston 2'2 of the compressor 5. Each magnetic clutch frame carries a contact rmgs 24:, 25, suitably c This shaft which are mounted a rheostat 29, a main switch 30, and a double throw switch 31. The, terminals 32 and 33 of the main switch i connect with the direct current source 34. 4 The terminal 35 of the main switch connects .through the conductor 36 with the brush'37 of the motor, while terminal 38 of. the main switch connects through the conductor 39 1 with the'terminal 40 of the rheostat, which terminal connects with the rheostat arm 41.

This terminal 40 also connects through conductor 42 with terminal of the field winding W of the motor, whose other terminal connects through conductor 43 with conductor rheostat terminal 44 connectsthrough conductor 45 with the common terminal 46 of the double thro'w switch. The top terminal 47 of this switch connects through conductor 48 with the brush of the magnetic clutch 9.- The lower terminal 49 of the doublethrow switch connects through conductor 50 with the brush 25 of clutch 10. The other brushes 24 of the clutches are connected tocommon conductor 52 with the other brush 53.; of the motor. The motor is therefore connected in shunt with the main circuit, and the imagnetic clutch windings are connected in series with the armature.

If it is desired to operate the pump to refill the tank with water, the double-throw switch blade is inthe upper position as shown. Current then flows from the generator 34 to con tact 33 of the main switch, through the closed main switch to conductor 39, to rheostat arm 41, through the starting resistance 1', throu h conductor 45 to common terminal 46 of t e double throw switch, through the switch blade to conductor 48, through brush 25, windin 23 of clutch 9, through brush 24, throng conductors 51 and 52 to motor brush 53, through the motor armature to the brush 37,through conductor 36 and through the main switch back to generator 34. Current also flows from the generator 34, through conductors 39, 42, throu h the field winding .of the motor, and throug conductor 36 back to the generator. The magnetic frame of clutch 9 being energized, the armature 9 sthereof will be magneticall locked to the frame 9 and the um clutc ed tothe motor will be driven t ere y. When the desired level of water has been reached, the main 55 switch is opened to open the motor circuit and the clutch circuit. If it were now desired to operate the com ressor, the main switch would be closed an the double-throw switch blade thrown downwardly to enga e the contact 49 and the same circuit confitions would result only that magnetic clutch 1O wouldbe connected for service and the compressor would operate to pump air into the tank over the water. There is apt to be residual magnetism in 36 and with main switch contact 35. Thegether through conductor 51 and through" is-indicated by the full arrow heads.

enacts the clutch parts after the circuit is opened by the main switch, and the members of one clutch were not separated before the other clutch were cdnnected in for service, both clutches would operate. However, by hav ing the clutch windings' connected serially inv circuit with the armature separation of the clutch members is assured for the reason that after the main switch is opened the motorwould run for a while under its own momentum as agenerator, excitin its shunt field. By the system of wiring emp oyed, the shunt field current thus generated will pass through the connected-in clutch winding in the reverse direction, thereby overcoming the'residual magnetism and readily allowing the clutch members to separate.

Supposing the clutch 9 is connected in circuit and the main switch opened, then we will have the following circuit through the clutch winding through which current flows ina reverse direction: from the terminal of the field winding, through conductors 43 and 36 to brush 37, through the armature to brush 53, through conductors 52 and 51 to brush 24 of the clutch 9, thence through the winding of said clutch to brush 25,through conductor 48, through switch contacts 47,-

46, through conductor 45'to rheostat contact 44, through the resistance, through the rheostat arm 41, through conductor 42 to the other field terminal. This reverse current flow is indicated by the half arrow heads and the current flow with the main switch clgsfid residual magnetism in the clutch frames therefore counteracted and the clutch members separated so that when the double-throw switch is open'and the main switch closed, both clutches are out of service, and either one may be selected for service by proper actuation of the double-throw switch. r

I therefore provide a very flexible control for systems in which a pump or compressor are to be independently driven by a common motor source. Magnetic clutches themselves form very elastic connecting mediums between the motor and the members to be driven. By means ofthe rheostat the current can be gradually applied to both, the motor and the clutch windings and the pum and compressor easily and gradually starte I do not wish to be limited to the exact arrangement of the arts as I have shown them, nor to the particu ar system to which Ihaveshown my invention a plied.

I desire to secure 't e'following claims by Letters Patent;

1. In combination, a common driving motor, mechanism to be driven, a magnetlc clutch for connecting said mechanism with a the motor, additional mechanism to be driven, a second magnetic clutch for connecting said second mechanism with-the motor, circuits for the motor and the magnetic clutches, and a common controlling means for the motor and magnetic clutch circuits.

2. In combination, a common driving motor, a plurality of mechanisms to be driven, a magnetic clutch for connecting each mechanism with the motor, circuits for the motor and for the magnetic clutches, and a common circuit controlling means for said circuits.

3. In combination, an electric motor, mechanism to be driven, a magnetic clutch for connecting said motor in driving relation with said mechanism, additional mechanism to be driven, a second magnetic clutch for connecting said motor in driving relation with 'said additional mechanism, a suppl circuit, means for connecting said motor wit said supply circuit, means for connecting either one of the magnetic clutches with the supply circuit, and rheostat means for the motor and clutch circuits.

4. In combination, an electric motor, a mechanism to be driven, a magnetic clutch for connecting the motor in driving relation with 'said mechanism, additional mechanism to be driven, a second magnetic clutch forconnecting said motor in driving relation with said additional mechanism, a supply circuit, a main switch for connectin said motor with said supply circuit, a ouble throw switch for connecting either one of said ma 'netic clutches with the supply circuit, an a common rheostat for controlling the motor clutch circuits in' common;

5-. In combination, an electric motor, mechanism to be driven thereby, a magnetic clutch for connecting the motor in driving relation with the mechanism, a supply circuit, circuits for connecting the armature and field windings of the motor with the suppl circuit and in shunt relation, and switc mechanism for including said magnetic clutch serially in the armature circuit, the

momentum of the armature after the armature and-field windings have been disconnected from the su ply circuit causing current flow through t e magnetic clutch in reverse direction whereby the residual mag-- netism. of the clutch is overcome and the clutch members parted.

6. In. combination, an electric motor, mechanism to be driven bythe. motor, a magnetic clutch having one member connected with the motor and the other member connected with the mechanism to be driven,

an ener izing winding for said clutch, an

'electrica supply circuit, switching mechanism for connecting the armature and field armature winding and magnetic clutch wind ing, whereb residual magnetism in the clutch mem ers is counteracted and the clutch members allowed to separate to disconnect the motor from the mechanism to be driven.

7. In combination, an electric motor, mechanism to be driven, a magnetic clutch for connecting the motor in driving relation with the mechanism to be driven, an energizing winding for the magnetic clutch, a supply circuit, common controlling means for connecting the motor windings and -mag netic clutch winding with the supply circuit,

and means whereby said motor ma generate reverse current flow through t e' magnetic. clutch winding upon disconnection of the motor windings from the supply circuit whereby residual magnetism in the clutch will be counteracted and the motor disconnected from the mechanism driven thereb In witness whereof I havehereunto su scribed my name, this 30th day of June, 1908.

, WALTER J. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

WALTER J. HOGAN, R. A. Wneunn. 

